Detector



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I. RANDOLPH; DETECTOR APPLIANCE FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

No. 441,379. Patented Nov. 25, 1890.

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(No Model.) I 2 Shees--Sheet 2-.

I. RANDOLPH.

DETECTOR. APPLIANCE FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

No. 441,379. Patented Nov. 25, 18-90,

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UNITED TATES ISIIAM RANDOLPH, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. I

DETECTOR APPLIANCE FOR RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,379, dated November 25, 1890.

Application filed July 22, 1890. Serial No. 359,518. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISHAM RANDOLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in DeteetorApplianee for Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the form of detector involving a bar applied to the rail adjoining a switch-rail to extend lengthwise along the same, and provided with mechanism for supporting it and adapting it to be moved verticallyin performing its function of detecting or indicating the obstructed or clear condition of the track near the switch; and my invention relates particularly to improvement in the mechanism referred to for supporting the detector in'a manner to permit it to be actuated'for its purpose.

My improved detector appliance affords a very desirable device for use as such without any especial form of switch-operating appliance. I have particularly designed it, however, as part of a system of railway appliances other parts of which are describedin Letters Patent No. 410,332, granted me on the 3d day of September, 1889, and No. 431,726,

granted me on the 8th day of July, 1890.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a representation of arailway-switch provided with my improved detector-bar appliance and showing my aforesaid patented devices as forming the means through the medium of which to operate it; Fig. 2,a section taken on the line 2 of Fig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, a broken view in front elevation showing my improved appliance; and Figs. 4 and 5, sections taken, respectively, on the lines 4 and 5 of Fig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

A is the rail to which the detector-bar B is applied. The means for supporting the bar 13 involve the following-described construction:

C is a clip for the inner side of the rail A and D a bracket connected with the clip to extend at the outer side of the said rail and support the detector-bar B and the longitudinally-reciprocating detector-operating bar B, which is linked to the detector-bar in the manner hereinafter described. The clip and bracket alford a support, and these supports are provided at desired intervals andin desired number on the rail A, as indicated at X in Fig. 1, and a detailed description of the construction thereof is as follows: The clip C involves two hook-arms, like the arm '1" presented to view in Fig. 2, extending parallel with each other from one side of a plate 0 or base, provided on its opposite side near one end with a recess q or guide and nearits opposite end with a bolt-hole p. The bracket D involves a plate 0 or base like that of the clip, (and both being preferably of the angular shape illustrated in Fig. 3,) and thus provided like the clip with a recess q or guide and a bolt-hole 19. From a side of the base 0 (forming its outer-side when in the operative position hereinafter described) extend the parallel upward-projecting arms at, each of which is bifurcated vertically from its upper end, affording a guide-recess m, Fig. 4, for the bar B between the prongs Z and 7c, the latter of which extends the higher and is expanded laterally toward its upper end into a guide-flange 7c. The bracket and clip form a species of chair for the rail A by causing the arms 1' of the clip to hook over the inner rail-flange, with the plate 1 to extend vertically underneath the base of the rail, and parallel therewith the plate 0 of the bracket D, which, as shown in Fig. 2, afiords the seat for the outer rail-flange, the two plates 1 and 0 being adj ustably secured together by a'bolt p passed through the bolt-holes p and p, and controlled for their adjustment by a spacing-block 'i, inserted between them into the guide-recesses q and q. Thus the chair species of support may be adjusted to fit a rail A, having a narrower head to bring the detector-bar the closer to it by inserting the block 1, of suitable width, to spread the plates 0" and 0 toward their lower edges and bring them the nearer together toward their upper edges. To spread the bases 0 and 4' toward their upper edges for controlling the position of the detector-dear with relation to a rail A, having a wider head, obviously the bolt 1'9 should be first loosened and a narrower block 1' inserted. the upper edge of the plate orbase 0 extends a web h, preferably inclining upward from Between each pair of prongs Z on each arm toward a central line between them forming the apex h; and between the said arms of each chair device the longitudinallyreciprocating operating-bar B is linked to the detector-bar B by a link B pivotally fastened near its upper end to the outer side of the detector-bar, and bifurcated toward its lower end to straddle the bar B and house a roller 9 on a shaft g, passed through the prongs of the bifurcated end of the link, and also through the bar B, the roller resting upon the guide-track afforded by the web h. To confine the bar B in its seats at the bases of the recesses m of the bifurcated arms or, I pass a key f through each pair of prongsl and 70 above the bar. Adjacent to the guideflanges k, forming the upper ends of the prongs Z, and flanking them, are stops 6, riveted to the outer side of the detector-bar B, and provided along their inner edges wit-h lips e to overlap the flanges 7c, between the edges of which and the stops 6 are seated anti-friction rollers (balls) cl. (See Fig. 5.)

WVith the bracket and clip devices or supports applied in desired number and at desired intervals to the rail A, and supporting the detector-bar B and its operating-bar B in the manner described and in their normal relative positions, as illustrated, the links B all incline from their upper ends downward, thus with the rollers g at a lower end of the track h.

To operate the device to cause the barB to perform its detecting function the bar B is moved longitudinally. This tends also to move similarly the detector B; but the latter is obstructed by engagement of the stops and guide-flanges 70, causing the links B to tend toward a vertical position, thereby raising the bar B, the resistance to which in rising is reduced to the minimum by the provision of the anti-friction balls d. By forming the tracks h of the inclining construction described, the links B may be the shorter, (and also, therefore, the stronger,) since the rise in the tracks increases the elevation of the detector-bar to the desired extent. When the bar B has been raised to its highest position by the rollers of the links B reaching the apexes h on the tracks h, unless means be provided to hold or look it there, as may be, the continued movement of the actuating-bar B will carry the rollers over the apexes h, and the weight of the parts will then suffice to lower the detector-bar by forcing the rollers g down the tracks it toward their opposite ends, thereby relieving to that extent the operator of exertion. \Vhen then the detectorbar is again to be raised, the ope-ration is obviously accomplished by moving the actuating-bar B in the direction opposite that explained.

The details thus described as forming the construction of my improved device are believed to produce the best form of the appliance; but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as they may be varibar B is by controlling it from a lever located,

say, in the operators cabin or tower.

As hereinbefore stated, my improved detector-bar appliance is especially designed by me to be operated in conjunction with my aforesaid formerly patented appliances,.which are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings in the relative positions and to operate in the manner set forth in my said Patent No. 431,726. Thus when the operating-lever (not shown) is operated to pull the cable 10 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, before the switch is thrown by the eventually-resultant action of the appliance E, the lost motion of its longitudinally-movable bar 12, (as also of the slotted links c,) and this, through the medium of its connection ocwith the cam-bar t of the appliance F, turns the lever 25 of the latter in the direction to effect, through the links to and u and intermediate pivotal bar M the desired movement of the bar B, the device F serving when the rollers g of the links B have reached the apexes h of the tracks h to hold them there momentarily, (or longer, if desired,) owing to the locking efiect of the stops t on the cam-hart by their being brought in the continued longitudinal movement of the cam-bar t against the straight edges of the latter, and thus to flank the two recesses 15 at opposite sides of the tongue i.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a detector-bar appliance, the combination of a detector-bar B, a support for the detector-bar, comprising a chair for the base of the rail A, to which the bar B is applied, the said chair being formed with a combined clip and bracket, and a reciprocating actuating-bar B, connected with the detector-bar and supported immediately by the bracket, substantially as described.

2. In a detector-bar appliance, the combination of a detector-bar B, a support for the detector-bar, comprising a chair for the base of the rail A, to which the bar B-is applied, the said chair being formed with a combined relatively-adjustable clip and bracket, and a reciprocating actuating bar B, connected with the detector-bar and supported immediately by the bracket, substantially as described.

3. In a detector-bar appliance, the combination of a support comprising a combined clip 0 and bracket D,forming a chair for the rail A, the bracket having bifurcated arms 71-,"

4. In a-detector-bar appliance, the combination of asnpport comprising a combined clip 0 and bracket D,forn1ing a chair for the rail A, the bracket having bifurcated arms 01, forming guide-recesses m, and connected by a guide-track h, rising from opposite ends toward an apex h, a reciprocating actuatingbar B, confined in the recesses m, a detectorbar B, supported on the bar B through the medium of a link B having a guide-roller g on the track, and suitable opposing-stops on the detector-bar, and arms or, substantially as described.

5. In a detector-bar appliance, the combination, with the rail A, of a clip 0, formed with a base 0*,having hook-arms '1", a bracket- D, having a base 0, and adj ustably connected with the base rbelow the said rail,bifnrcated arms at, extending from the base 0 and provided with recesses 'm and stops 7a, a reciprocating actuating-bar B in the recesses m, a link B connected at its lower end with the bar B, a track h between the arms "n, aroller g on the lower end of the link and resting on the track, and a detector-bar B,pivotally connected with the link near its upper end, and

provided with stops e, substantially as described.

6. In a detector-bar appliance, the combination, with a rail A, of a clip 0, formed with a base 1', having hook-arms r, a bracket D, having a base 0, and connected with the base r below the said rail, a block t, confined between the said bases, arms 92, extending from the base 0 and terminating in prongs land It, forming recesses m, stops'lc on the prongs k, a reciprocating actuating-bar B in the recesses m, a track It between the arms '21, a link B bifurcated toward its lower end and straddling and connected with the bar B, a roller gin the bifurcated end of the link and resting on the track, a detector-bar B, pivotally connected with the link near its upper end, stops e on the detector-bar overlapping the stops 7s, and anti-friction rollers d, confined between the stops, substantially as described.

ISHAM RANDOLPH.

In presence of J. W. DYRENFORTH, M. J. FROST. 

